Combined retractable scaler and toothbrush



Oct. 9, 1956 P. M. RITTER COMBINED RETRACTABLE SCALER AND TOOTHBRUSH Filed Jan. 17, 1955 Z/f Z if Z7 l N V EN TOR. Pac/2f? M ffffa? COMBINED RETRACTABLE SCALER AND TOOTHBRUSH Philip M. Ritter, New York, N. Y.

Application January 17, 19551, Serial No. 482,189

4 Claims. (Cl. 132-84) This invention relates to an improved toothbrush and more particularly to a toothbrush containing an enclosed tooth-scaling device, especially intended for home use.

lt is an object of this invention to provide an improved toothbrush having means for removing undersirable scale and foreign particles from 4the teeth of the user.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a toothbrush having tooth scaling means which is retractable within a sanitary enclosure when not in use, said means also being easily cleaned when projecting from within the said enclosure.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved toothbrush having manually retractable tooth scaling means which is not subject to any substantial amount of undesirable lateral motion within the said toothbrush.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved toothbrush having manually retractable means of simple and durable design which may be economically manufactured and marketed.

Other and more specific objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description as read in connection with the accompanying drawing, the novel featuresl of this invention being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

Figure l shows a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view taken about the line 2 2 of Figure l and looking in the direction of the arrows located at the ends of the said line.

Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view taken about the line 3 3 of Figure 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows located at the ends of the said line 3 3.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional View similar to that shown in Figure 2 but showing the tooth sealer manually released and in an extended position.

Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view taken about the line 5 5 of Figure 4 and looking in the direction of the arrows located at the ends of the said line 5 5.

Figure 6 illustrates the operative use of the embodiment of the invention depicted in Figures l through 5.

The present invention has been conceived with a view towards providing easily operated means for home removal of scale and foreign particles from the teeth of the user so as to promote in a substantial degree the dental health and appearance of the said teeth, the said means being made available at the time when the teeth are usually cleaned by conventional means. The invention comprises a retractable too Scaler mounted within a portion of a toothbrush and projectable therefrom to a position whereby it is available for the purposes hereinabove described.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the embodiment of the invention therein shown comprises in combination a toothbrush 10 having bristles 11 of the conventional type mounted in a suitable base 12, sai-d base 12 being integral with a handle 13 composed of a substantially hard material such as plastic and containing the aforesaid toothatent scaling means. As illustrated -in Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5, the internal portion of the said handle 13 is hollowed out so 'as to accommodate a movable tooth sealer 14 composed of a substantially hard material such as metal and having on one end an arcuate hook 15 terminating in a sharp point adapted to prying loose and scraping off the scale and tartar which accumulates upon teeth and'to removing particles of food and debris which lodge within dental crevices. At the other end of the said sealer 14 there is also located a catch 16 which is releasably engageable with a similar catch 17 which is integral with the shaft 18 of a manually depressible button 19 movably mounted in one side of the said handle 13, said button 19 being biased against depression by a suitable spring 20 disposed between the lower portion of the said button 19 and the said handle 13.

The aforesaid tooth scaler 14 also has a base 21 which receives and supports one end of a coiled compression spring 22 contained within the said handle 13, the other end of the said compression spring 22 being supported upon the flattened surface 23 located at one end of the aperture which comprises the internal portion of the said handle 13.

With this arrangement of the invention, the handle 13 may be engaged by the lnand 24 of the user who may then depress the button 19 by simply exerting a slight pressure thereon with one finger 25 in the direction of the solid arrow shown in Figure 4, thereby releasing the tooth sealer 14 from engagement with the catch 17 and allowing the compression spring 22 to project the said scaler 14 in the direction of the dotted 'arrow `shown in Figure 4. The said projecting movement, however, may extend no further than that position of the sealer 14 wherein a curved external portion 26 thereof engages with a mating curved portion 27 which forms one part of the aperture within the handle 13. In this position, the sealer 14 is firmly held so that there is no undesirable wobbly motion of any kind. The motion of the scaler 14 is further restricted by the fact that that portion of the sealer 14 which is always contained within the handle 13 has a substantial portion 28 of rectangular cross-sectional conformation which is slidably held within that part of the said aperture having, with the exception of a rounded portion 29 wherein the said compression spring 22 is accommodated, a rectangular shape 30.

When the tooth sealer 14 is not in use, its hooked end 15 may be manually depressed to a position whereby the catches 16 and 17 are mutually engaged and the said hooked end 15 rests upon a curved surface 31 located at one end of the aforesaid aperture. The toothbrush handle 13 also contains a circular opening 32 whereby it may be hung upon a suitable holder, as desired.

The embodiments of the invention illustrated and described hereinabove have been selected for the purpose of clearly setting forth the principles involved. It will be apparent, however, that the present invention is susceptible of being modified in respect to details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts which may be resorted to without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States:

l. An improved tooth cleaning device comprising in combination with a tooth brush having suitable bristles mounted in a base, a handle having an internal aperture containing projectable means for manually removing tooth scale, releasable, engageable means contactable with the said projectable means, said releasably engageable means being depressively retained in the said handle, said projectable means being contactable and engageable with a curved portion of the said aperture when the lsaid projectable means is in an extended position, said projectable means being manually retractable into the said aperture, said projectable means comprising in combination a slidably mounted tooth sealer composed or metal and having on one end an arcuate hook terminating in a sharp point, said tooth sealer having a flattened surface in contact with a movable compression spring coiled within a portion of the said internal aperture, said tooth sealer also having a suitable catch engageable with the said releasably engageable means when the said tooth sealer is fully contained Within the said handle, the said tooth sealer having a curved external portion engageable with the said curved portion of the said aperture when the said tooth sealer is in an extended position, the said tooth sealer also having a portion of rectangular cross-sectional conformation slidably contactable with a part of the said aperture having a partially rectangular cross-sectional conformation, the said tooth sealer being manually depressible into the said aperture from the said extended position, the said arcuate hook being engageable With a suitably curved portion of the said aperture when the said tooth sealer has been manually depressed.

2. A device of the type set forth in claim l, the said releasably engageable means comprising in combination a metallic button, a shaft integral with the said button and depressioly mounted within the said handle, a catch ntegral with the said shaft and contactable with the said catch of the said tooth sealer, the said button being biased against depression by a coiled compression spring surrounding the said shaft and located between the said button and the said handle.

3. A device of the type set forth in claim l, the said internal aperture extending through that end of the said handle located opposite to the said bristles, a portion of the said aperture having a rectangular cross-sectional conformation terminating in a rounded cross-sectional conformation, said portion accommodating the said compression spring and a portion of the said tooth sealer, the said aperture also having a cylindrical portion accommodating the shaft ofthe said arcuate hook.

4. A device of the type set forth in claim 3, the said handle being composed of plastic and having a circular opening at one end thereof, the said arcuate hook being manually depressible into the said aperture, the said catches being mutually engaged upon such'depression.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,495,675 Colt May 27, 1924 

